City of Louisville pays $1.6 million after 2008 police pursuit that left 4 teens dead

December 9, 2017

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville Metro Government agrees to pay $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the families of four boys who died in a police pursuit that ended in a crash.

The mother of Marc, Demar and Jamar Claybooks will receive $960,000. The parents of Aaron Shields will receive $640,000. The boys died December 18, 2008 in a stolen car driven by a then 16-year-old Herbert Lee. When Louisville Metro Police spotted the stolen Honda, they began a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fiery crash at First and Hill Streets. Lee was the only survivor and was later charged in their deaths.

The boys had been on a field trip with Youth Alive, but there wasn’t enough room in the vans to return home. They were allegedly told to get into a car driven by Lee.

Lee was convicted by a jury in October 2010 on four counts of manslaughter in the deaths of Jamar, Demar and Marc Claybrooks and Aaron Shields. He served less than three years. He is now serving a ten year sentence, after pleading guilty in 2014 to several charges including receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and fleeing or evading police. He was busted in a stolen car and police say he kicked out the window of a patrol car to try to escape.